THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS part 2
Acts 10:23-48 (Freddie Read & Pray)
Life Lessons From The Life Of Cornelius:
1. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
Peter began to preach to those assembled at Cornelius’ house by talking about John the Baptist and continued to the earthly ministry of Jesus as He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
The apostle spoke of the crucifixion, the resurrection and how Jesus visited with the believers after he resurrected. Peter was just about to explain how the Old Testament prophets spoke of His coming when all of a sudden the Holy Spirit took over and began baptizing them in His power.
The whole house of Cornelius began speaking in tongues and exalting God, while the Jews who accompanied Peter stood back in amazement. Never had Cornelius or the others had experienced anything like it. Never had the scriptures spoken to them like they did now. Their spiritual eyes had been opened to understand many mysteries of faith.
LUKE 11:9-13
In one of Peter’s earlier sermons, the Spirit move him to assure his listeners that this promise of the Holy Spirit was not just for his generation, but for all those whom the Lord would call in the ensuing generations.
The power of the Holy Spirit is still available to all Christians today, and He (Holy Spirit) will come to bring glory to Jesus Christ. Cornelius felt the leading of the Holy Spirit in his life on a DAILY basis, and his prayer life changed dramatically after the Holy Spirit came upon him.
And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8
To yield to the Spirit’s leading in our lives is to say yes to true discipleship, and to say yes to this way of life is to please God. Christians are called to be God-pleasers!
Have you yielded to the Holy Spirit’s control?
2. OBEYED THE MESSENGER OF GOD
About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” Acts10:3
it was about 3:00 in the afternoon when it happened. out of nowhere an angel appeared in the room where Cornelius was praying… Scripture tells us that Cornelius was alarmed by the angelic visitor, as any human would be at the sight of one of heaven’s messangers.
The message that he brought was a difficult one, he instructed to send for Peter the Apostle of the Christian Church, asking him to come to his house and deliver a message.
How could he do this? after all Cornelius knew who Peter was, yet Peter did not know Cornelius that well why would Peter even agree to visit his house… a gentile’s house that would mean that Peter according to Jewish law would be un-clean until sundown… the Jewish law strictly forbade this kind of interaction.
It was unlawful for a Jew to sit at the same table as a non-Jew. Yet the angel had commanded Cornelius to do this thing. He had a choice to make, to obey the laws of men or to obey the messenger of God, he chose to obey God.
But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to Him is much better than offering the fat of rams.” 1 Sam. 15:22
How often does our logic or what we call rational thought get in the way of our faith walk? God requires obedience regardless of how foolish our actions may seem to worldly thinking.
requesting an audience with Peter may not have been socially acceptable, but it was walking in obedience to God. to obey is better than sacrifice, to obey is better than the praise of men, and to make the choice to obey God is to walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ…
If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15
it has been said that the cross is where God’s will and our will cross. Daily we are faced with the choice to obey God or please men. The choice is yours…
3. PRE-MATURLY BOWED HIS KNEE (Acts 10:25)
All night Cornelius must have had difficulty sleeping…as he grappled with his anxious thoughts wondering if Peter would actually come. If he did how would he respond to his famous guest? Before long he looks down the street and here comes Peter, not a representative… but Peter himself. The man who had walked with Jesus himself was about to enter his house.
The moment Peter stepped into his house Cornelius prostrated himself before the apostle, he was in awe of Peter’s presence. Immediately Peter corrected his new found friend, calling him to his feet, and explaining to him that he too was a man.
Peter had the advantage of the Old Testament teachings in which God prohibited bowing the knee to anyone but the Lord Himself. Cornelius was yet to learn the specifics of the Christian faith; all he knew was that the great teacher was in his house.
Acts 14:11-12 / Revelation 19:10 / Revelation 22:8-9
Cornelius learned what the new Christians in Lystra learned when they began to worship Paul and Barnabus thinking they were Hermes and Zeus.
He learned just as John the writer of the book of revelation learned as he fell to his knees at the feet of an angelic messenger, ONLY GOD IS TO BE WORSHIPPED and our knee should bow only in his presence…
For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Exodus 34:14
Not to an angel, not to a man but worship is reserved for God alone.
Today men may not physically bow to idols of this world, but they often times posture their hearts in worship that the feet of riches, fame and power. God’s law has not changed over the ages, mankind are not to bow their knee to anyone or anything but God. Worship before him today…Like Cornelius allow Him to baptize you right now…
